Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-12-22

oar IL CnlS way. WASN'T OlQ NanOerDH
! when 1 put up this palace. Couldn't affort
! fancy nickel and iron work.
He sat down suddenly on the end Of hi
couch
SNow hide me-" she demanded, letting thu
cloak fall off her head and piercing hin
with the largest, blacklist eyes he had eve
seen
&Ge-whizs!" calculated Steve, bracins
himself up with his hands on the pc es a
each side of him @Where could hide yor
h0ller of the roof Look around, and there's
the logs"
@What's in the trunk"
Mighty little of any thing When
recoliect what used to be in that trunk when
first came into the woods. and what ain'1
in it now, it makes me feel bad"
The woman threw up the lid and crouched
inside. So quickly had her whisking
drapery disappeared that Steve wondered
if he were in one of his walking dreams,
which of summer nights sometimes lured
him out of his cabin into the woods She
kept the lid moment raised to whisper
through the opening:
Don't let him get mech don't let him
get mel"
through this snow" observed Barrymore.
must be keen for a hunt You didn'5 foot
1t from the station, did yOu?"
She had lowered the trunk lid, but raised
it again to make a crack through which
she replied:
Il waded up the mountain. into the
woods, as fast as l could wade To hide
somewhere from that man"
hat fall 10 it2o inu,rirod Ctauo
The trunk lid rose again softly, and her
voice Kissed through:
1T is satan!"
"rn bet peck of potatoes" said Steve,
that I'm dream n all this My heads as
side to side I'll put on another chunk of
wood and get some light on the subject"
As he set some roots to blazing, their light
spread over his face like wave of merri-
ment
This is more fun than going to the ball. -
he murmured Pm having Christmas doin's
Right here to home. Guess I'll load my
gun--if there's huntin' tonight"
He reached for his gun-case, took out its
shining barrels. which were polished like
silver. and began to tit the parts together,
laying his cartridges ready for insertion
keeping was his care of his gun. No maid
loved her ornaments more, no matron
devoted more on hair looms in sterling
silver than Steve ON his gun. His best
shirts had gone towards rubbing it to its
present high perfection
As before, there was first mufIled bump
against the door and then a prolonged rap
ping.
I,oso i'll H.,
trunk quite closed, as if its inmate pre-
ferred smOthering to discovery.
The law of the State of California" re-
turned a robust voice.
@What does the law want?"
cit wants this door opened"
THE laws like me-" observed the lone
man. 1T wants heap of things it don't
get"
There's woman in this cabin"
First time one ever saw the inside of it,
then"
II saw the door opened"
"Yes, often look Quito see what time
o. night it is" said Steve
open and let me in" commanded his be-
sieger. I'm not here to parley."
IF you amt got any errand, you better
put out again." suggested the lone man
sent out any cards amt to home"
The outsider uttered some resembling
sentences When these settled to the level
OF threatening they pointed out such dan
gers as the following:
why. 1 can kick your miserable door
down can knock the chinking out of the
walls and shoot You through the cracks l
can get on your roof and stamp it through.
Nov, ho cnnlI h,,ld hnff
than I've got" said Steve, with sarcasm
~You don't know what you're doing. And
you don't want to get into trouble with a
man like me- have the law on my side. 1
want my wife out of this cabin and I'm
going to have her out"
*Nice husband you must be, Mr. Law,
said the lone man, to be out with gun
tracking your wife through the snow like
AZ ii she was rabbit
At this the outsider set his heel nightly
against the door. The wooden bars held it;
but Steve saw them with the repeated kicks
loosening in their sockets He lifted his
ready gun to his eve, but lowered it with a
growl and shake of his head He felt strong
and angry His weakness and nausea were
gone His blood shot like fire through its
courses. and he felt ready for emergency.
Emergency in the shape of big, furious
man soon burst the door in
Now you've done it, said Steve,standing
between the trunk and his antagonist. and
holding his gun up. you see what I've got
for you"
The strangers ewes were glowing, and
his breath short Nth the effort he had
made. Snow. driving behind him. whirled
far into the cabin. He held his hands in
the pockets of a tremendous great cost He
and Steve, like knights who have Just
shocked in tournament, stood staring at
each other without moving muscle The
stranger finally withdrew his gaze for one
sweep around the cabin
sWhere is she?"
Don't let us have no more trouble, ~
reasoned Steve. You amt goin' to get her
if she don't want you to- She asst me to
stand between, and I'm going to do it"
All the uncontrolled passions of the pur-
suer blazed in his face That pair of black
eyes, staring through a minute crack in the
trunk, saw him snatch his right hand from
his pocket and fling 1t forward and the butt
end of Steve's gun simultaneously striking
it back The pistol report was in his own
brain She never had doubt of what was
done The whole thing was distinct, posi-
tive. swift like bolt of lightning down the
sky. The mans body came down with q
thump upon Steve's earthen floor
Before Sleeves mind received an impress
sion. quite minute before he could frame
4